Centre Urges States To Take Care Of Children Who Lost Parents To Covid-19

Children Who Lost Parents To COVID-19: The centre has urged the state governments to ensure that children who have lost their parents due to Covid-19 are taken care of.

According to government sources, around 577 children lost their parents to the second wave of Covid-19. These children are now under the care of their immediate families and the central government has directed the states to look after their welfare.

ANI informed that the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, along with state governments are trying to make sure that these children are attended to properly and do not suffer due to the loss of their parents.

An AFP report which is dated to May 19 said, “Children whose parents have died or are sick have been reduced to selling vegetables on the streets."

The lack of the country’s medical infrastructure resulted in the death of lakhs of Covid-19 patients simply due to the unavailability of resources like oxygen, hospital beds and injections among the others.

Arvind Kejriwal, on May 18 declared to provide Rs. 2,500 to minor children of covid victims till the age of 25 years. Their education will be taken care of by the state government.

"Many children have lost both parents because of Covid...such children should not think of themselves as lonely and helpless. I stand with them all the time.” He said in his statement.

Karnataka government also appointed a Nodal officer to take care of the orphaned children to provide them assistance. The state government also appointed an IAS officer, Uma Mahadevan to coordinate donations with the private sector and NGOs.

The government has also issued guidelines for the rehabilitation of such children. The Ministry of Women and Child Development set out rules to facilitate a lawful process.

It stated that the child should be produced before the District Child Welfare Committee within 24 hours if there is no one to look after the child. The information regarding such children can be shared with Child Helpline (1098). In order to ensure a lawful adoption, the ministry stated that people can approach Central Adoption Resource Authority (cara.nic.in) to adopt orphaned children.